Story nightclub in Miami Beach is closed as liquor cutoff takes effect. Will it reopen?
The party is over at one of Miami Beach’s biggest and most iconic nightclubs.
Story nightclub in South Beach closed its doors this past weekend as a 2 a.m. liquor sale curfew took effect in the South of Fifth neighborhood, a spokesperson for the club confirmed.
Last month, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge ruled that the city of Miami Beach could impose the curfew but then granted Story a 30-day extension that allowed the club to temporarily stay in business.
But the Third District Court of Appeal, which has yet to weigh in on Story’s challenge of the circuit court ruling, denied the club’s request earlier this month to delay the 2 a.m. cutoff any longer while the appeal is pending. The 30-day extension expired Friday.
At a court hearing on the city’s proposed curfew, attorneys for Story presented data to suggest the club makes about 88% of its alcohol revenue between 2 and 5 a.m.
“Story cannot live another day if this ordinance is put into effect,” attorney Sean Burstyn said at the time.
It’s not clear when the appeals court will rule on the matter, but it likely won’t be for several months. The club’s spokesman said Story is “temporarily” closed and “exploring options.”
The spokesman said the company — which is under the same ownership as the iconic LIV nightclub inside the Fontainebleau Hotel — is making “best efforts” to move Story’s employees to its other venues during the appeal process.
The ordinance passed in February by the Miami Beach City Commission will force some South of Fifth businesses to move their alcohol sale cutoffs from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., a response to nearby residents who want less noise and partying in their vicinity.
It provides an exception for bars and restaurants with capacity for fewer than 100 people, a carve-out that restaurateur Myles Chefetz, who owns several South of Fifth businesses with 5 a.m. licenses, helped craft.
Story is one of a dozen businesses in the neighborhood with 5 a.m. liquor licenses, nine of which have capacity of more than 100 people, according to city records.
Three establishments in the area with 5 a.m. licenses, Ted’s Hideaway, the ScapeGoat and Sorbillo, hold fewer than 100 people. Others with larger capacity don’t list operating hours past 2 a.m., including Nikki Beach, Smith and Wollensky, Prime Fish, Forte dei Marmi, Monty’s Sunset and Papi Steak.
This is the first time a Miami Beach 2 a.m. liquor curfew has survived a substantial legal test. It’s a political win for Mayor Dan Gelber and other city officials who have struggled to implement changes even after voters approved a non-binding referendum expressing support for alcohol sale rollbacks in 2021.
The city’s past attempts to impose 2 a.m. liquor curfews in parts of South Beach were shot down by a judge, in part because they were found to target particular businesses.
The new rules only affect Miami Beach’s southernmost neighborhood, which has become increasingly residential with high-rise condo towers and is home to many residents who say they don’t care for noise and intoxicated young people in the area.
Bars, clubs and restaurants on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue in the city’s entertainment district between Fifth and 16th streets are not affected.
Story, which hosts major musical acts and holds over 1,000 people, was opened a decade ago by Miami entrepreneur Dave Grutman as the sister venue to LIV. Last month, a firm led by billionaire developer Jeffrey Soffer bought the Story property for $23 million. Soffer also owns the Fontainebleau.
The property at 136 Collins Avenue has served as a nightclub for about 30 years, previously under the names Amnesia and Opium.
